Disclaimers: Alrighty, I am too lazy to write the disclaimers here again, so if you wanna see them go back to the first part. :)
Dedications: For Toby, Tashi, and for Skip. Thanks so much for reading my fics, and being a fan! I’m touched! ^_^
Okay, here is A Test of Heroism part two, enjoy!
A Test Of Heroism
By: LadyWillow
Chapter Seven: Heeere Joxer Joxer Joxer...
“We’ve been searching all day, Xena.. where is he?”
Gabrielle and Xena were searching all over for their missing companion, but they still hadn’t found him.
“I know, Gabrielle. We’ll just keep looking until nightfall, and then we’ll make camp and continue in the morning.” Xena said, as she and Gabrielle continued to walk through the woods. Gabrielle nodded.
The two continued to walk and call Joxer’s name until they came to a village. Xena wanted to go through, but Gabrielle begged to stay there for the night.
“Please Xena? Wouldn't’ it be nice to sleep in an inn... a nice, soft bed... warm food.... hmm?”
Xena smiled broadly at her lover.
“You won me over at the ‘nice soft bed’ comment.”
Xena stated smugly. Gabrielle smiled evilly at the Warrior Princess, and they entered the village in search of an inn with vacancies.
Joxer yawned and stretched. the sunlight was streaming in bold beams through the window of his hut, and onto the bed. The fresh morning air that came through the open window was crisp and slightly moist from the fresh dew that was still clinging to the grass.
Joxer had been planning to leave in the dead of night, but his conscious had gotten to him, as well as the fact that he had been quite tired.
Joxer the ‘Mighty’ stood up, and stretched again. He wondered where he could get some breakfast, and he decided to go to the local inn and tavern, and see if he could get some food there.
Myrene was on her knees in her garden, pulling up weeds and stacking them into neat piles. The weeds would be placed in her compost pile, where they would decompose, and then she could spread the compost onto her garden. Many of the people in the village thought her to be crazy, but Myrene stood firm to the fact that it really did help her plants grow better.
Myrene heard footsteps, and she turned to see Joxer walking toward the inn and tavern.
“Joxer the MIghty! Wait!” Myrene called in an excited style. She leapt up and dashed to her gate. Joxer had turned, and was walking up to her.
Myrene’s heart skipped a beat as she watched the brave hero come toward her.
“Xeeeenaaa...”
“Xeeeeeennaaaaaaaaa...”
“XENA!”
“WHAT?!”
Gabrielle had woken up before the Warrior, which very rarely ever occurred. She had decided to rub this fact in by having to wake up her lover for once.
“Good morning, dearest. Did you sleep well?” Gabrielle asked in a ‘way-too-early-cheerful-voice’. Xena just grumbled and turned over.
“Oh come on, sweetums. You know it’s time to get up.”
Xena glared at Gabrielle, and the bard giggled.
“Come on, Xena... this is the first time I’ve ever woke up before you... let me have some fun.”
Xena smirked.
“I’ll show you fun.” Xena growled, before she pounced on the Battling Bard, and pulled her under the blankets.
“AAAIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!!!” Gabrielle shrieked.
Xena gasped, and dove out from under the blankets faster than Gabrielle ever would have guessed.
“COLD HANDS, COLD HANDS, COLD HANDS!!!!” Xena cried as she rushed to the fire to build it up a bit, and thaw her now frozen skin. Gabrielle just laughed.
“Oh, you think this is funny, do you Bard?” Xena asked in a very dangerous tone. Gabrielle just laughed harder.
“You just wait until I’m all warm. You are going to be punished.”
“I can’t wait.”
Xena chuckled, and motioned for her lover to come closer to her. Gabrielle warily scooted closer to Xena, and the Warrior Princess pulled the Bard into her arms, and cuddled her.
“Hmm... if this is my punishment, I’m going to be naughty more often...”
Xena just laughed.
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Okay, I'm still large with the busy, but I am also still writing every day. I plan on writing a bit this weekend too, and so expect updates within the next few days. Thanks to all who have been reading, and many thanks to Skipp and Krystal for signing my guestbook and for all the kind words. You two are great!
Okay, in an effort to save web space, I am posting this update
(9/23/02) onto this same page. Hope you all don’t mind! :)
Disclaimers: I don’t own ‘em. If you want more in-depth disclaimers
please see the first page of this fic. Thanks, and enjoy!
Chapter Eight: Xena and Gabrielle Meet a Hero.
“Really Myrene, you don’t have to make me breakfast...”
“Oh, but I insist, Joxer the Mighty! A nice, home cooked meal is just
what you need. Not some food from the tavern!” Myrene made a
disgusted face as she bustled around her kitchen preparing a
breakfast for her extra-special guest.
Joxer sighed.
< What can it hurt? > He thought to himself.
“Okay Myrene. Thank you.” Joxer said gently. Myrene blushed.
“It’s no problem at all, Joxer the Mighty! No problem at all!”
It was all Joxer could do to suppress a groan.
Xena and Gabrielle walked into the village yet again. The day before there had been no vacancies at the only inn in the village, and they had been forced to camp out.
Just as they walked into the village, a man walked up to them.
“You aren’t here to cause trouble, are you? Because we have ourselves a real, genuine hero in our midst, who would knock you flat in seconds!”
Xena and Gabrielle exchanged skeptical looks, before Gabrielle gave the man a warm, oh-so-Gabrielle smile.
“Oh, no no no! We’re not here to cause any kind of trouble. We’re passing through. In fact, Xena here is quite the hero herself.”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Gabrielle covered her face as if to hold any following comments in. The man’s eyes widened, and Xena looked at the ground, waiting for the man to carry on about how she was a bloodthirsty warlord.
“You - you’re Xena?!”
The Warrior Princess nodded slightly.
“Yes, I am.”
The last thing that Xena expected was the man to grin broadly, and hug her.
“Oh, thank you so much!”
“Whaat..?” Xena drawled, sounding very confused.
“You, you saved my daughter’s family! They live in the village of Lyonious, and you saved them from certain death a few winter’s ago!”
Xena’s eyes widened in recognition, and she smiled at the man.
“You are welcome to stay here as long as you like! I run the inn. If you are looking for somewhere to stay, I can put you up for as long as you like, free of charge!”
Xena smiled at Gabrielle, who was beaming. It was very rare for her lover to meet those who she had helped, and Gabrielle knew it made Xena’s life quite a bit easier.
“Thank you very much.” Gabrielle said gratefully.
“Say, who’s the hero that you have staying here?” Xena asked as the man led them to the inn.
“Oh, he’s nothing compared to you! Myrene, a woman from out village found him to help us with a very large problem that we are having with a warlord, Zangious. He agreed to defeat Zangious for us. His name is Joxer the Mighty, if I’m not mistaken.”
Xena and Gabrielle’s jaws both dropped, and they stopped walking.
“What? Do you know of him?”
Xena finally closed her mouth and regained at least some composure.
“Something like that... can you take us to him?” She asked. The man smiled.
“Of course. Follow me.”
Xena started to follow, and then saw that Gabrielle was still stunned. Xena chuckled, and gave the bard a good shake.
“Come on.”
Chapter Nine: Enter the Joxer
Joxer had finished his delicious home-cooked breakfast, and was following Myrene out of her hut when Xena, Gabrielle and the inn owner walked up. Joxer’s eyes widened.
“Xena, Gabby... what a surprise!”
Gabrielle’s eyes narrowed, and she lunged at Joxer, ready to pummel him with her staff.
“Heeeyy!” Joxer whined as he raised his arms in defense. Xena held Gabrielle back by her top, and looked at Joxer.
“Joxer, can we talk to you?” Xena asked, frowning. Joxer gulped, and nodded. The three walked a little ways away from Myrene and the inn keeper. Xena started the conversation.
“Joxer, what were you thinking?! Zangious is a very powerful warlord!!”
Joxer frowned.
“I - I didn’t mean to... I didn’t know what to do...”
Xena sighed, and her face softened.
“Joxer, you have to tell these people the truth.”
“But -"
“I’ll fight Zangious. Right now it is very important that these people know the truth, okay?”
Joxer nodded, and walked up to Myrene.. Xena and Gabrielle stood behind him.
“Myrene, I’m... I’m not a hero.” He said. Myrene’s eyes widened.
“I’ve always wanted to be, but I’m not.” He sighed, obviously disgusted with himself.
“I don’t even know how to use this sword!” He spat, as he touched his sword hilt. Myrene gasped.
“You... you lied to me..?” She questioned, appalled. The shock, however, quickly wore off.
“How dare you lie to me!” She shouted, and ran toward the woods.
“Myrene, wait!!” Joxer shouted, and he ran after her.
“Myrene, please...” Joxer said softly. He had chased Myrene deep into the woods, and into a large clearing, where the woman ws standing, crying softly.
“How could you do such a thing? We trusted you...”
Joxer sighed quite audibly.
“My entire life I’ve been a nobody. Then, I got the crazy idea in my head that I could be a hero. That I could save people. I made an entire fake person, and I wear the mask of that person all the time...”
Myrene turned and watched Joxer tell his story, intrigued.
“I didn’t want to deal with the fact that I’m just a normal guy, and I guess I didn’t want anyone else to know. I thought that if I lied long enough, it would become the truth... but it didn’t happen...”
Chapter Ten: Lions and Tigers and Warlords, Oh My!
While Joxer and Myrene had a heart-to-heart in the woods, Zangious had decided that he had had enough of waiting. It was time to show the village who was boss. He had led his army into the small village, and was now making his attack.
“Where is Joxer and Myrene?!” Xena shouted to Gabrielle over the sounds of the battle which was beginning to rage around them.
“I don’t know!” Gabrielle shouted back.
Just before the battle really got under way, Xena looked to her soulmate.
“I love you, Gabrielle.” She said gently. The Battling Bard smiled.
“I love you too, Xena.” Gabrielle said, her voice choked with emotion.
And then, the battle began.
“I suppose I understand...” Myrene said gently. “Although it doesn’t make me feel to much better about being lied to...”
Joxer nodded.
“I know. You didn’t deserve to be lied to. I feel just awful about it. But I promise, no more lies.”
Myrene smiled broadly. “ You promise promise?”
Joxer grinned in a rather silly fashion.
“Warrior Hopeful’s honor.” He said, raising his right hand.
Myrene giggled.
“You’re so silly.” She said gently, before she leaned in and kissed him. Joxer was shocked.
Meanwhile, the battle contined to be fought. Xena was doing quite the good job of taking down warriors. She chanced a glance at her lover, and watched as she thumped warrior after warrior with her staff. Xena smiled, and continued to fight. She noticed that the army was starting to thin out.
< Not much longer now... > She thought to herself.
“Lets head back.” Myrene said softly. Joxer nodded his agreement, and the two stood up and began to walk out of the woods. As they walked, Joxer told Myrene stories about all of the things he had seen while traveling with Xena and Gabrielle. Myrene was very impressed.
“See, you are very brave, though. You stayed with them even when things became very dangerous. You are a true friend, and a real hero.”
Joxer blushed, and Myrene took his hand.
Xena ran through another warrior, and looked toward the woods. She saw Joxer and Myrene emerge from the trees holding hands, and she gasped. A mounted warrior was headed straight for them. She unclipped her chakram. Even as she did so, she knew it was too late.
Myrene and Joxer stepped out of the woods to see a great battle taking place. Myrene gasped, and Joxer squeezed her hand.
“It will be okay, Myrene.”
Myrene saw the mounted warrior riding toward them.
“Joxer the Mighty, look out!!!” She cried, and she shoved him out of the way just before the blade would have run him through.
Joxer gasped as Myrene fell to the ground. Just as she had been stabbed, Xena’s chakram had beheaded the warrior. Gabrielle had finished off the last few warriors with relative ease.
Xena ran to Joxer, who was sitting on the round, Myrene’s head resting in his lap. Xena saw that the horseman had been Zangious himself.
“Bastard.” She spat.
“I’m not mighty, Myrene... don’t call me mighty.. I’m no hero...” Joxer said, nearly hysterical.
Myrene smiled gently, her face was ghostly pale.
“You - “ She coughed, and blood flecked her lips.
“You will... always... be.. a hero......to......me.......... Joxer.....the..............Might..y....................” She breathed, just above a whisper. Her body went limp in Joxer’s arms, and he let out a strangled sob.
Gabrielle looked at Xena. They both had tears in their eyes.
“Why..?” Joxer said gently. “Why? She was so young...”
Gabrielle put her hand on Joxer’s shoulder, and he broke down. The bard helped him stand up, and led him to the hut which he had stayed in the night before. Xena scooped up the lifeless body of Myrene, and carried her to the healers hut, where she would be prepared for her funeral.
Chapter Eleven: I'll Say Goodbye To Love
That night, the funeral pyre was lit, and Myrene’s soul was sent to the Elysian Fields.
Xena sang for Myrene, at Joxer’s request. The entire village mourned the loss of such a vibrant, kind, and fun - loving woman. but no one mourned as much as Joxer, who had never known such love until he had met Myrene, who believe in him until her last breath.
Joxer vowed that he would become a real hero, and make Myrene’s spirit proud. He would fight for innocence, slay dragons, and even challenge the Gods themselves.
And then, Joxer the Mighty would truly be the hero that Myrene always knew he could be.
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Okay, that's that. Tell me what you think! Please, a bard really needs feeback! It's our bread and water, I tell you! :) Anyhow, please sign the guestbook, and tell me what you thought, or email me at
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